When Waller High School (WHS) senior Blake Green considered projects to complete to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout he decided to honor the elementary school where he built fond memories, Fields Store Elementary (FSE), by renovating the school’s Butterfly Garden. The Eagle project is an opportunity for a Scout to demonstrate leadership while performing a project to benefit their community.

“I chose Fields Store for my project because it is the school in which I attended from kindergarten through fifth grade, and I made so many memories as a student there,” Green said. “I wanted to give back to the school that provided memories I will cherish for a lifetime, and make an impact on the students that attend the school currently and in the future.”

The Butterfly Garden is located near the center of FSE and is a place classes utilize when working outside. Green chose to upgrade the garden after getting ideas from Principal Melissa Crosby, teachers Kim Lauder and Georgene Ringleben, and other FSE administrators on what would most benefit the school. Green created rough sketches of his plans and digitally replicated the garden to visualize the changes he wanted to make to the garden. Once plans were complete, Green along with family and friends got to work. They began by removing everything from the garden, then replaced the ground with rich soil, created a concrete pathway for students to walk, and installed a french drain system. It took four days to fully transform the garden.

“I believe it is important to help the community because making a positive impact on others is a rewarding experience for both the members of the community and oneself,” Green said. “Helping the community can bring people together, create positive social environments, and make the community a better place. For this project, my vision was to renovate the butterfly garden into an area where students can socialize with others and learn about nature by experiencing it first hand.”

The final change to complete the garden will be the addition of plants. Blue buckets in raised planters were placed for students to eventually grow plants of their choice. Pesticide-free flowers in colorful pots will also be added to attract butterflies into the garden. Green is a member of Boy Scout Troop 1114. For more information visit wisd.fyi/FSEgarden.